Tel Aviv: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel’s intense bombardment of Gaza marks only the initial phase of their response to the Hamas onslaught that claimed 1,300 lives. With a significant number of Israeli troops amassed at the Gaza frontier, Netanyahu declared in a televised address that their enemies had just begun to pay the price. Though he did not disclose the specifics, he emphasized that this was merely the start.
Netanyahu spoke shortly after the Israeli military disclosed that they had conducted localized raids within the besieged Palestinian territory in the past 24 hours, signaling a potential ground invasion. Israel has also issued an evacuation notice to Palestinians in Gaza City, prompting concerns from the United Nations about a potential humanitarian crisis.
Reiterating his commitment to destroying Hamas, Netanyahu stated, “We will never forgive, we will never let the world forget these horrors inflicted on the Jewish people. We will fight our enemies using unlimited power.”
The Hamas-initiated attack last Saturday resulted in the abduction of approximately 150 Israelis and foreigners as hostages. According to Gaza officials, the retaliatory Israeli shelling and air raids have claimed the lives of around 1,800 people in the Hamas-ruled region.
(Note: This story has been published from a syndicated feed without any edits by the NDTV staff except for the headline.)